Finding Shepard
by Mistress-of-the-Moons
Summary: The Reapers are beaten. The galaxy has been saved. Commander Jane Shepard has done the impossible with the help of her friends...and now they are searching frantically for her admist the rubble of London. Will they discover her safe and unharmed...or will they have to find Shepard in more ways than one? Pairings include Shakarian, Shenko, and T'Sovik.
1. Chapter 1

Finding Shepard

Prologue

Commander Jane Shepard stood before three impossible choices. Time ticked by at an alarming rate, and she knew every second she wasted, every second she used to think about each choice, another life was lost. Jane looked down at her feet and closed her eyes tightly. To her, only one option was the right option. Jane looked ahead of her and turned her head to the right. As she slowly walked towards the terminal that gave off a red hue, each of her friends flashed before her eyes. Thane, Miranda, Legion, Mordin, she sensed them all very near, waiting to greet her on the other side. As she made her way towards the console, images of her crew entered her mind; especially Garrus, whom she had spent the night before in his warm and comforting embrace. Her prediction was right; that was their final night together. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she stood at the console. Jane drew her brows together and repeated over and over again in her head that she was doing this for the good of the galaxy, it was the only correct option she had. She swallowed the lump in her throat and shook her head. The time for fear was over. Jane knew she was staring death straight in the face. He ought to be an old acquaintance by now. She had cheated him many times before, had been brought back from his clutches, but knew that this time…there was no coming back. She accepted her death as she slammed her hand down on the control pad, closing the Citadel firmly. As she was thrown across the room from the force of whatever it was the Citadel released, Jane felt as if every bone snapped within her body. The pain was excruciating, worse than anything she had ever felt before. She hit the wall of the other side of the room hard and felt as if her skull cracked, even though she wore her helmet. As she fell to the floor, armor nearly demolished, Jane saw a red beam of light explode above her. As darkness crept towards the corners of her eyes and the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, Jane's mind went completely blank. For the first time in years it wasn't processing or calculating anything. It was just there, sitting within her bruised skull. As the darkness eventually enveloped Jane's vision, she took one last, ragged breath before falling into the darkness…

**A/N: **And so I'm back with a new multi chapter fic! I hope you all enjoyed the prologue; there will be more to come! I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update as I'm extremely busy with school, but I'll do the best I can! You guys ready for another adventure? I know I certainly am! I hope you all enjoy 'Finding Shepard'!


	2. Chapter 1: The Search

Chapter 1

The Search

Two days. It had been two days since; somehow, the Reapers had been defeated. Garrus looked all around him at the debris and destruction this war had caused. He knew not what this city looked like before the Reapers attacked, but knew that it was a far cry from all the crumbled buildings that lay demolished before him now. Catching what he could from Liara and some of the other crew, the Mass Relays were severely damaged, some of them beyond repair. It would be a while before they would be in space again. Over the course of the two days, Garrus had reunited with everyone…everyone except Shepard. Every moment that there was no sign of her, Garrus became more worried. Liara was helping Doctor Chakwas with the other wounded…there were so many…whilst everyone else employed their time looking for any sign of Shepard. Garrus gripped her dog tags tightly in his hand, remembering her words to him on their final night. The air was ripe with the foul stench of death and the sky was grey in mourning. Most, those outside of the Normandy crew were not expecting to find the commander at all, much less alive. Garrus, however, wouldn't stop. He'd never stop searching, even if that meant staying behind while the others returned to the stars. As Garrus lifted and moved pieces of rock and plaster, he didn't hear the soft footsteps approach him from behind. Garrus didn't look up as Liara's shadow became present beside him.

"Garrus, please rest for a moment." She said.

Garrus shook his head.

"No, not until Shepard is found."

Liara moved and crouched down in front of him, placing her hands atop his. She looked down and noted all the scrapes and cuts within them that he had gotten from moving all the sharp rock.

"We _will_ find her, Garrus. I know we will." She said.

Garrus looked at the Asari and wanted to be optimistic, but his worry was beginning to get the better of him. If Jane _had_ survived the blast, surely she was in need of medical treatment. He wasn't sure how long her body could withstand the trauma it had endured…but knew it probably was not a long amount of time.

"Javik and Kaidan have begun searching around the remains of the Citadel. Since that is where she last was, perhaps she will be among the debris there."

Garrus stood quickly and headed for that direction. Stupidly, he had not thought to look near what remained of the Citadel, thinking that the blast would have thrown Shepard far away from it. He approached the Prothean and the biotic and asked if any progress had been made.

"Not at the moment. We are still searching." Javik stated.

Kaidan said nothing, only continued to move debris and rubble out of the way with his biotics. There had been an awkward air between the two ever since Jane had declared her love for the Turian. Garrus had always considered Kaidan a friend, but that friendship was on it's last string, or so it seemed. Throughout the whole mission, Kaidan had barely said two words to Garrus. Garrus knew Kaidan was just upset because Jane had chosen him instead of himself, her first love, but he had no one to blame but himself. If he hadn't treated her so harshly on Horizon, perhaps things would be different now…but they weren't. He had broken Jane's heart and burned her with his harsh words of indifference…and Garrus had done nothing but offer friendship. He revered Jane as a strong woman capable of pretty much anything. Although she was a hardened soldier, she tried her damned hardest to make peace where she could. What started as just a simple flirtation grew into something so much more. Garrus truly loved the Commander and would do anything for her. She had revealed things about herself to him that she told no one else, and he had done the same. Picturing her smiling face, the twinkle in her ice blue eyes, the way her nose crinkled whenever she laughed…Garrus felt tears swarm to his eyes, but blinked them back. He had no reason to cry…not yet anyway.

"I've found her!"

Garrus immediately turned around, as did Kaidan, as Javik emerged from some dark corner, carrying Shepard's broken body. Garrus felt his heart drop and his stomach plummet. Jane sported two black eyes and a busted lip. Her blood had dried and caked itself onto her face and in her blonde hair. Her arm dangled loosely…almost lifelessly at her side. Javik hurried towards them both as Kaidan called for Doctor Chakwas and Liara over his omni-tool.

"She is barely breathing and is not conscious…I do not believe she has been conscious for some time. She needs medical attention immediately."

Javik looked at Garrus and handed Shepard to him, knowing that the Turian would want a chance to hold her before the medical team came in and took her away. Garrus stared into Jane's bruised and bloodied face. She was hardly recognizable…it was a wonder Javik had even found her. Kaidan stared at Shepard's body in shock as well. He studied Garrus' reaction and kept looking back and forth between the two. Garrus' mandible twitched as a tear fell from his eye.

"Please…wake up." He whispered softly.

Doctor Chakwas, Liara, and a handful of other doctors finally made it to them.

"We need to get her to the tents…though I doubt we have the equipment we really need." Doctor Chakwas said as Garrus slowly lowered Jane onto a stretcher.

"She _needs_ to be in a hospital!" Kaidan exclaimed.

Liara looked at him.

"Nearly all the hospitals here are destroyed. What she needs is to be in space…but the Relays aren't fully repaired. We will have to do what we can here until we can transport her to another hospital." She stated.

Two Salarians lifted the stretcher and hastily carried Jane away as Doctor Chakwas followed behind them, asking for supplies and all available staff to meet her near the first tent. Liara placed her hand to her forehead and sighed happily.

"Thank the goddess you found her, Garrus. Any longer without treatment and…"

Garrus nodded.

"I know…I know. Javik was the one who found her though, not me. Is there any chance at all I can be with her?"

Liara shook her head.

"You can stay near the tent, but the doctors will be swarming her and they need their space. I'm sure Doctor Chakwas will inform you when you may sit with her, but it could be a while."

"I'd like to go as well, if that's alright?" Kaidan asked as he looked at Garrus.

Garrus looked at him a moment before nodding slowly. The two hurried in the doctors' wake. Liara turned and looked at Javik who was staring off after them.

"How did you find her?" she asked, truly curious.

Javik shook his head.

"I almost missed her, but something told me to look over my shoulder. When I did, I noticed the 'N-Seven' scribed on her chest plate and knew it was her, though I removed her helmet…or what was left of it to be sure. There was a large rock blocking the rest of her body…and because it was so dark where she was, her armor blended in well with the environment."

Liara felt her lip tremble as a tear formed in the corner of her eye.

"I can't tell you how grateful I am, Javik. You have put my mind at ease."

Javik shook his head.

"I would not be at ease yet. The commander sustained a substantial amount of damage…it is a wonder she is still alive. She is still in the hands of death, it's up to the doctors to pull her out of his grasp…but you are welcome, regardless."

Going against her better judgment, Liara threw her arms around the Prothean and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you." She whispered softly, before pulling away.

Javik stared blankly at her before nodding and following her as she headed towards the med tents.

Hours passed as the doctors continued to work on Shepard. Garrus and Kaidan sat next to each other on a large rock, waiting as patiently as they could for any news. Neither of them had said a word, and every time a doctor emerged from the tent, both looked up sharply and asked at the same time if there was any news. Sadly there was none. Garrus felt the need to close his eyes and allow himself some rest, as he had been going nonstop the past two days in his efforts to find Shepard, but he wasn't ready to sleep yet…or rather, he couldn't. Not until he knew that Jane was stable, at least. Kaidan was just as eager to hear news as well, yet was also exhausted from the past two days. He looked at Garrus and tried to make conversation, but he really didn't know what to say. He was hurt that Shepard no longer cared for him the way he cared for her…and knew he could've handled things better on Horizon…but he never thought she'd end up with Garrus of all people. He wondered many times what exactly _had_ occurred between the two during the time when Jane was with Cerberus. All he wanted was to apologize again and again and be with Jane once more…but it looked as if that wouldn't be possible. Kaidan felt himself nodding off as those thoughts filled his mind. Garrus too finally closed his eyes and allowed himself to rest. Eventually, some odd hours later, Doctor Chakwas emerged from the tent and approached the two men who held a place in Jane's heart. She cleared her throat to wake them from their sleep, and both started immediately.

"The commander is stable, but she has not regained conscious. We are moving her to a hospital that has managed to stay in working condition tomorrow."

"How bad are her injuries, doc?" Kaidan asked.

Chakwas turned to him and both Kaidan and Garrus noticed the grim look on her face.

"We nearly lost her twice. Not only are her legs broken but nearly all her ribs are as well. The commander also suffered from a distinctive blow to her head. If she had not been wearing her helmet, the force of that blow would've killed her on the spot. Pieces of her helmet were embedded into her scalp and her skull did suffer from the impact. It may be some time yet before she regains consciousness…you must be prepared to wait. The other available doctors and I will continue running scans and helping her as best as we can, but we are limited to our equipment as there are others in need of help as well."

Garrus sat back against more rock and let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Kaidan did the same.

"How long before she regains conscious?" Garrus asked.

The doctor drew her brows together and sighed.

"We don't know. It could be days, weeks, perhaps even longer. We may be able to make a prediction once she is at the hospital, but until then, that's all the information I can offer."

Garrus nodded.

"Thank you doctor."

Before he could add his next question, Kaidan asked,

"Can I see her?"

Doctor Chakwas looked at him.

"I know you both wish to see the commander, but only one of you can see her at the time. We have a lot of wires spread out in that tent and there's still a doctor in there with her. You may go and see her, but you must make it quick."

Her omni-tool flashed, calling her away to check on another patient. Kaidan turned to look at Garrus, who was staring at him in disdain.

"I think _I_ should be allowed to see her first, don't you?" he asked.

Kaidan realized that Garrus was right; he had no right himself to visit Jane first, but had a compelling urge to see her. Under the intensity of Garrus' gaze, however, he opted for being second and decided he would find the rest of the crew and tell them the good news. Once he left, Garrus immediately walked towards the tent that housed Shepard. As Garrus pulled back the flap of the tent, he took in a breath as he saw Jane resting on a stretcher with hundreds of wires hooked up to her, monitoring each of her bodily functions. Part of her head was bandaged from where Doctor Chakwas removed the shrapnel from her scalp, and her legs were held in place by splints, as they did not have the material to cast them yet. Garrus continued to rake his gaze over her, noting how swollen both her eyes were. He moved to touch her face, but the Salarian doctor that was entering things in his data pad made a disapproving noise.

"Please don't touch the patient. If you must, her hand is available but nothing else. I will leave you in private, but I must return quickly to monitor her progress. You get ten minutes tops." He explained as he exited the tent.

Garrus nodded and sat down on a small stool nearby. He took Jane's hand in his and laced their fingers together as best as he could.

"I thought I'd lost you." He whispered softly as he stared into her face.

Garrus gripped her dog tags with his other hand and closed his eyes.

"Come back to me, Jane. Please…I can't lose you, not again. You're all I've got left…and we have to work on that Turian-human baby…remember?" he asked as his voice cracked. The distant beeping of the monitors was all Garrus heard. He wanted to believe that Shepard would be fine, that she'd regain conscious in no time. But looking at all the machines and noting how badly and broken her body looked…Garrus had a feeling it would be a while before he'd get to look into her eyes again. The Salarian returned and cleared his throat, stating that his time was up and another wished to visit the commander. Garrus placed a kiss to Jane's hand and stood. He looked over his shoulder and lingered for a moment longer before exiting the tent. Kaidan had assembled the rest of the crew and entered the tent before Garrus had barely gotten out. Liara approached Garrus and looked up at him.

"How is she? Kaidan didn't give much detail, only told Javik and I to meet with everyone else outside of the tent. Is she conscious?"

Garrus shook his head and told Liara and Javik and everyone else from the Normandy what Doctor Chakwas had told them earlier. Javik sensed Liara's sadness and moved to stand closer to the scientist.

"Hopefully once Lola's in the hospital she'll wake up." James stated.

Tali nodded.

"Yes. Perhaps all she needs is stable medical equipment."

Garrus continued answering everyone's questions as best as he could and shared in their hopes that once Jane was at a hospital, she'd receive the proper care she needed and would be back to them in no time. On the inside of the tent, however, a much different opinion was forming. As Kaidan looked at Jane he felt an overwhelming amount of love and admiration for her.

"I was stupid, stupid to turn you away." He chastised himself as he held her hand tightly in his.

While Kaidan wanted to believe that Jane would come back to them in a formidable time, he knew better. The beating he took on Mars landed him in the hospital for weeks, and his injuries were nowhere near as bad as Jane's. Kaidan squeezed her hand.

"Now I know how you felt when you went to visit me when I was in Huerta. You fight this, Jane. You fight this and you come back to us…come back to _me_. Don't let them take you out, you're better than that. Fight it…fight it." He whispered.

The Salarian cleared his throat, signaling that his time was up. Kaidan nodded and kissed her hand, but when the doctor turned his back, he snuck a quick kiss to her forehead.

"Come back to me, Jane. Come back to me." He whispered as he pulled away and exited the tent.

Doctor Chakwas eventually returned and suggested everyone try to get some sleep. Garrus and the others followed her suggestion, but he knew sleep was the last thing on his mind. All he could think about was Jane and holing her in his arms. Garrus knew she'd come back, that she'd recover…something just told him she would. He hoped and prayed that her conscious would soon return…not thinking that just because she was awake everything would be good and fine.

No…a very long road stretched ahead of them. Happiness was not ready to bless itself to Garrus yet…and he was uncertain if it ever would.


End file.
